The Three Musketeers: Beginnings
by Mystic Winter
Summary: When he was a few years old, Legolas Thranduilion was sent away to the galaxy so that he might be protected from his father's enemies. Five years later, his quiet life on Coruscant is about to get louder, starting with the destruction of all he holds dear
1. Prologue: A Jedi Promise

Summary: When he was just a few years old, Legolas Thranduilion was sent to the galaxy so that he might be protected from his father's enemies. Now, 10 years later, his quiet life on Coruscant is about to get a lot louder when a young girl comes asking for his help.

Prologue: A Jedi Promise

Thranduil's face was grave as he held his sleeping son in his arms. His wife, Minuialwen watched him sadly as two hooded and cloaked figures came to stand in the doorway. Thranduil did not turn around to face them, nor did he take his eyes off of his son.

"Must it be done?" He asked. The taller figure nodded.

"It must." They replied. Tears began to trickle down Minuialwen's cheeks and she placed a hand over her mouth. Thranduil closed his eyes for a brief moment, and when he opened them, he found his son staring back at him. There was a look of confusion and fear in the elfling's eyes that made Thranduil feel even quiltier. Thranduil slowly turned as the other figure walked forward, hesitation evident with each step he took.

"Know this, Qui-Gon, as you deliver him safely to wherever you are taking him. Should my son come to any serious arm, I will be sure to find you. And should I have to do so, I intend to make you explain yourself." He said as he handed his son over to Qui-Gon's young apprentice. Legolas reached for Thranduil, sadness evident in his eyes.

"Ada. Ada, no." He pleaded softly. Thranduil squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

"I am sorry, Legolas." He whispered. Legolas looked fearfully at his mother, unshed tears shinning in his eyes. Minuialwen shook her head sadly.

"I will take that into account." Qui-Gon replied evenly as Minuialwen began to cry softly. Emotional pain flared in Thranduil's eyes, made his insides twist, his heart pound weakly.

"Just...Just promise me that when the time comes you will bring him home safely." He whispered. Qui-Gon nodded as Obi-Wan handed the elfling to him.

"You have my word as a Jedi on that." He replied softly.

****

Master, why do we always get landed with the pathetic life forms?" Qui-Gon gave his apprentice an admonishing look as Legolas began to squirm. Obi-Wan ignored the elfling for a moment, then began to panic when the elfling began to wail loudly.

"Oh no. What do I do? Master, what do I do?!"

"Stop shouting, for one. Two, I have to wonder if you ever reacted like this while taking care of Vara." Qui-Gon sighed. Obi-Wan bounced the elfling in his arms and gritted his teeth as he just wailed louder.

Legolas tried to wriggle out of Obi-Wan's arms, but Obi-Wan only tightened it. Legolas just began to scream louder and hit Obi-Wan in the chest.

"Ow!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "Legolas, stop that! It hurts! My sister never acted like this." He followed Qui-Gon through the crowds, trying in vain to calm the screaming child. Several humans and humanoids turned to look, causing Obi-Wan to fall into step next to Qui-Gon.

"Legolas, shut up." Obi-Wan hissed. Qui-Gon sighed and took Legolas. Legolas began to calm down a little but did not stop crying. Obi-Wan rubbed his chest and Qui-Gon had half a mind to yank on Obi-Wan's braid.

"What's wrong, little one? Is it the lights? Is it the noise? Is it some of the humanoids?" Qui-Gon soothed as he ran a hand up and down the Legolas's back. "Well, don't worry. You'll be away from all of that very, very soon." Qui-Gon hid a smile as the Legolas's wails died down. He cradled the child in his arms as they entered the apartment and walked down the hall to a lift. Obi-Wan pressed a button by the durasteel doors, which slid open moments later to admit them. Legolas's eyes darted around as the lift began to take them up to floor 10.

"Master, are you sure these are the right people to leave him with? What if they don't treat him right? And you heard what Thranduil said. Besides, it's our job to keep Legolas safe." Obi-Wan asked. Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow in amusement and Obi-Wan shrugged sheepishly.

"I... didn't take the best approach when he was screaming out there." He told his master. Qui-Gon smiled and nodded as the lift came to a halt. The durasteel doors slid open and they stepped out into the corridor. A woman stood a few feet from them. Tears welled up in Legolas's eyes again, and Obi-Wan took him from Qui-Gon when he noticed this.

"There, there, Legolas. We will be back for you soon." He whispered. Legolas looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"You take me home then?' He asked. Obi-Wan nodded as Qui-Gon spoke with the woman.

"I promise. Jedi Promise." He replied.

"What the Jedi pwomise?" Legolas asked.

"I solemnly give my word as a Jedi that I will come back for you, no matter what happens. I give you my word as a Jedi that I will return you to your family when the time is right."


	2. Chapter 1: The Scene Of Tragedy

Chapter One: The Scene Of Tradgedy

**I noticed that in my summary in the prologue, it said ten years have passed instead of five. I just thought that I should make it clear that five years have past since Legolas was brought to the galaxy. Not ten.**

* * *

He hated crowds. He hated pushing through lines of humans and humanoids alike just to reach the counter where his father worked. And, most of all, he hated having to explain over and over to some indignant person that he was _not_ cutting infront of them, but merely pushing through the line so he could get to where his father worked. His patience was beginning to wear even thinner when an angry pale skinned Twi'Lek grabbed his arm.

"What do you think you're doing?" He hissed. Legolas glared up at the Twi'Lek.

"My father works over there," he said, pointing in the direction he had been heading just moments ago "and I'm trying to get to him." The Twi'Lek glared at him for a few more moments before releasing him.

"Holy milking Sith." Legolas muttered as he approached the counter where his father worked, not feeling the least bit bad about using the explanation his parents, brother, and sister did not want him using.

"Legolas! Legolas!" Legolas whirled around and gave a cry of surprise. He ran across the red carpet of the theater and allowed his red-haired older brother, Jamar, to scoop him up into his arms.

"You didn't say you'd be back today. How was Alderaan? Did you like it there? Was it pretty? What did you do? How'd the starship work? Did you get to pilot it?" Legolas said quickly. He was almost breathless when he stopped talking. Jamar laughed cheerfully and tousled Legolas's hair affectionately.

"Alderaan was great, Legolas. Very beautiful. I'll have to take you there one day. And, yes, I was allowed to land the starship back on Alderaan and fly it back here." Legolas grinned as Jamar set him down. Jamar looked up at the stark white ceilings and fancy chandeliers, around at the pictures of holostars lining the brown durasteel walls, the numerous doors and lines of every kind of alien species imaginable.

"Do you always come here alone?" Jamar asked in interest. Legolas nodded.

"Every afternoon to help dad." He replied. Jamar nodded.

"Interesting. Now, what do you say we get through these lines and find him?" He asked. Legolas sighed.

"Definitely. If we can get through them without someone thinking we're cutting infront of them." The younger replied.

"That happen to you a lot?" Jamar asked.

"Oh, you have no idea." Legolas replied cheerfully. Jamar took Legolas's hand and led him through the crowds.

"You see, little brother, the trick is to maneuver around the lines, cut through as few groups and lines as-" Jamar began. Legolas suddenly raced towards a nearby counter where an older man was directing humans and humanoids to different doors, taking tickets, and exchanging credit chips. He latched on to the man, making him start. The man, Brenn, grinned when he saw his foster-son and scooped him up into his arms before giving a Sullustan female a few credit chips. Jamar joined them a moment or two later, grinning widely.

****

"Okay, are you two ready to help clean up?" Legolas pointed at Jamar.

"He gets to sweep. I'm not done sorting just yet." He said. Brenn looked out the window at the pinkish-yellow sky.

"Well, we better get started. Your mother will be wondering where we are." He commented. Jamar grabbed the broom out of the maintenance closet, cursing softly under his breath when a bucket fell and smacked his head, as Brenn grabbed a dust rag. Legolas sat criss-cross infront of the credit holder on the floor as his father and brother proceeded to sweep up bits of food and wrappers from the floor and wipe down the counters and windows. A soft voice suddenly sounded in his head:

_I solemnly give my word as a Jedi that I will come back for you, no matter what happens. I give you my word as a Jedi that I will return you to your family when the time is right._

Legolas looked around, but saw no one. A warm feeling stole over him and wrapped around him like a thick blanket, and he felt as if someone familiar was near.

"Legolas?" Legolas looked up at his father, who was watching him with concern.

"I'm okay." Legolas replied with a smile. He went back to sorting the credit chips. The voice suddenly sounded in his head again, only, this time, it said something different:

_I am watching you. It won't be long before I bring you home, Legolas. Just be patient._

Legolas looked around once more, his elven eyes searching the shadows for someone that had not left with the crowds. But he saw no one. He frowned as he went back to sorting the chips, the setting sun reflecting off of them as he picked them up. Jamar and Brenn talked softly as they cleaned, as if trying not to let Legolas hear, but the elfling caught every word. He was an elf, after all.

It was a few minutes before Legolas finished sorting the credit chips. He picked the heavy credit holder up off the floor as he stood and slid it under the counter before grabbing a broom from the maintenance closet. When he opened the door, a bucket fell from the top shelf, narrowly missing Legolas's head. Legolas muttered something in Twi'Lek as he grabbed a broom and proceeded to help Jamar sweep up the rest of the rooms.

****

"Do you think dinner's ready?" Legolas asked as his stomach growled loudly.

"More than likely." Jamar replied as he put the brooms away.

"Good. Because I'm starving." Legolas groaned. His stomach growled again as if emphasizing the point. Jamar smiled as he picked his brother up.

"We better hurry up, then." He said. They left the theatre and got into the black speeder parked just outside. Legolas strapped in just as his father took off and leaned back, closing his eyes, enjoying the feeling of cool air rushing over him. He thought about the voice, about the dream he had had the previous night. There had been two adults with pointed ears, which he knew to be elves, and elfling, which had looked too much like him for comfort, and two Jedi. They had been speaking, but no words had come out of their mouths. The female elf had been crying, the elfling had been sad, one Jedi had seemed calm, the other uncertain, and the other adult elf had seemed pained, guilty. He didn't understand it, really. Maybe he wasn't meant to. Or perhaps he would. In time. Legolas hoped he would have the dream again that night had actually be able to hear what everyone was saying.

It seemed to bother him a lot more now that he thought about it. He wanted to know what had been happening. Maybe it would explain the voice in his head. It had to be a Jedi that had been speaking, since they had told him they gave their solemn vow as a Jedi. Legolas did not despise Jedi, but he was always wary around them. And to have a Jedi giving him their solemn vow as a Jedi was a little unnerving. What had he done? And what had they meant about getting him home. Coruscant was his home. He had been told that his birthparents could not raise him, so they had left him on the streets of Coruscant at a very young age. Jamar had found him and brought him home, to Brenn and Ketira. Yes, these people were his family. Jamar, Brenn, Ketira, and Valanna.

"Legolas? Legolas, come on." Legolas sat up and opened his eyes. They were home. Legolas allowed Brenn to lift him out of the speeder and up the stairs into the apartment. A hooded and cloaked figure watched as the door closed behind them, then turned away. They headed down the walkway, towards the Jedi Temple.

****

"Mother! We're home! Mom?! Valanna?! Arrrghhh!!!" A red-haired female laughed as Legolas relaxed in her arms.

"Did I scare you?" Valanna laughed cheerfully as she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. Legolas shrugged.

"If it makes you feel triumphant." He replied. Valanna laughed, then, upon seeing Jamar, gave a small gasp of joy and pulled him into a hug, which Legolas found himself squished in the middle of.

They were all seated around the kitchen table a few minutes later, eating hotcakes and nerf sausages.

"So, how was school, Legolas?" Ketira, Brenn's wife, asked. Legolas shrugged as he wiped his hands off on a napkin.

"Okay, I guess." He muttered. Jamar raised an eyebrow.

"Did it?" He asked. Legolas looked away at the cabinets.

"Legolas, was school okay?" Brenn asked sternly.

"No. I... I picked a fight with Branell." Legolas sighed before taking a bite of hotcake. "But it wasn't my fault!" Everyone regarded him sternly and Legolas averted his gaze.

"He made me do it." He muttered.

"So, what happened?" Valanna asked.

"I accidently bumped into him, so he called me a sith and I told him to shut up." Legolas said.

"So you hit him?" Jamar asked incredously.

"No, after that he tried to make me apologize, and I said no." Legolas retorted.

"Then you hit him?" Valanna asked.

"No, after I told him I wasn't going to apologize, he grabbed me by the hair and called be a little Gullipud. That's when I hit him." Legolas told her. No one looked pleased, so Legolas grabbed the rest of his hotcake and headed towards his room.

"Tell me when I can come back out, please." He called over his shoulder.

He pressed the button to open his door before entering the relatively neat room. The window, which was practically a wall itself, gave him a rather impressive view of Coruscant, the shelves held data pads, trinkets, models, and various other things one might consider junk, and a few pictures decorated the stark white walls. The light tan foam carpet covering his floor was mostly clean, except for a data pad or unfinished model here and there. His bed, which sat parallel to the wall across from the window was neatly made and added the final touch to the place he so often called a sanctuary. There was a SB-20 Security Breach Droid he had salvaged and fixed about two years back sitting in the corner between the wall and the window, flawed but not completely imperfect. He still had to work a lot on it.

Legolas sat down on the bed and quietly finished his hotcake as he watched the air traffic zoom by. All was quiet, all seemed perfectly peaceful. Until the sound of the front door being blasted open reached his ears. Legolas scrambled to his door when he heard screams and shouts, but he did not leave the room. He heard blaster fire, his mother scream, his father and siblings cry out, gruff, cruel laughter. Legolas hurried over to his closet and opened it. He quickly climbed up to the topmost shelf and fumbled around for something. Just as more blaster fire erupted, his hand found some thing cold, hared, and small. It was his FWG-5 flechette pistol. He smiled, grabbed it, and hurried back to the door. More screams and blaster fire could be heard as Legolas quietly slipped out of his room and into the shadowy front hall.

Careful of the creaky parts of the durasteel floor, Legolas made sure he had enough ammunition. Satisfied that he did, he looked up and made his way to the living area. He could hear voices and quiet sobbing as he crept towards the living area, but could make out nothing of what the people were saying. The voices were unmistakably male and the quiet sobbing was his sister's. As he reached the archway leading into the living area, the voices became clear.

"Where is it?"

"I don't know w-what you're t-talking about. Please. I don't want to die." Legolas waited quietly, pressed against the durasteel wall. He peered around the corner and aimed the pistol. The laser beam landed on the taller intruder, the one with the blaster to his sister's head, and he waited a few seconds before firing. The intruder cried out in pain and alarm, and before the other intruder or Legolas could fire either of their weapons, the entire apartment building was torn apart.


	3. Chapter 2: The Truth

Chapter Three: The Truth

_Legolas's POV_

Pain. Piercing, excruciating pain, as if something has ripped me open. It's the first thing I feel when my eyes slowly slide open. Searchlights explore the scene, footsteps draw closer. Voices are crying out in alarm. I try to move my legs, but they are pinned down by something big and heavy. Someone kneels down next to me and holds up a few fingers. They are asking me how many fingers they are holding up. I do not know. Everything is too blurry, my mind is boggled. I am in too much pain to respond.

"Son, can you hear me?" I open my mouth to respond. But no words come out.

"Hey, over here! The kid's badly hurt!" He calls, not taking his eyes off of me. Where is Valanna? Where are my parents? Where is my brother? I need them. And then I remember. The bomb went off seconds before I could kill the second intruder and save my sister.

No. No, no, no! Dead! All of them! Tears leak out of the corners of my eyes as I pray to every god of every religion just to take my life right there. Pain continues to explode through every fiber of my being as the man talks to me. He looks up and yells for someone to come and help, that I'm hurt bad. That's an understatement and no mistake. I feel something slowly being removed from on top of my legs. I can't stay awake anymore. The last thing I remember seeing is the man's face.

****

_Narrator's POV_

He lay still, but alive, though barely breathing, unconscious in the private recovery room. His body was almost entirely encased in casts and bandages, a life monitor strapped to his wrist, showing his life status. Medical droids came in every thirty minutes to check on him, to make sure the anesthetic had not yet worn off, to change bandages on the less serious injuries, to administer new bacta patches. Legolas Thranduilion was, in all context, a mess.

The elfling had retreated far inside himself, not wanting to wake up again. He could hear the Jedi speaking to him, unknown voices pleading for him to hang on to life.

_Hang on for your father, Legolas._

_Don't let go!_

_We still need you!_

_I won't let you die. So, stop trying to._

He did not understand. He was not trying to die. But he thought he wanted to. There was just too much pain, all he loved and cared about was gone. All gone. There was nothing left for him on this world. There didn't seem like there was anything left for him in the galaxy, either. He started to slowly drift towards consciousness and he was surprised to find that the pain had dulled considerably. Legolas's eyes slowly slid open and he blinked in the suddenly light. A respirator was strapped snugly over his nose and mouth, a long tube connecting to an oxygen tank. He tried to look around, but found that he could not move his head. The entire room was dull grey durasteel, except for one stark white wall. There were superimposed shifting lights on that wall, synchronizing with his own brain waves, and he thought it helped to relax him a bit. Theoretically, that's what they were supposed to do.

A droid floated into the room, a hooded and cloaked figure following behind. Legolas watched with dull blue eyes, not sure what to expect. His gaze fell on the Jedi's shadowed face and found that it looked shockingly familiar. The Jedi smiled at him.

"You remember me, don't you?" He whispered. The Jedi looked up at the droid.

"He should be moved up to the infirmary." Legolas was confused. Wasn't he all ready in an infirmary?

"I don't believe that would be in the best interests of my patient." The droid replied. The Jedi pulled his hood back and sighed.

"I'm his guardian. I've been asked to watch over the boy should anything happen to his mother or father. Since his entire family was killed in that explosion, it is my choice where he receives medical treatment." He replied. The droid seemed to consider this for a moment. Legolas thought the Jedi sounded a little desperate. Or perhaps he was just determined to get his charge back to good health.

"Very well." The droid replied. "But should his health deteriorate, bring him back here." The Jedi nodded.

"Thank you." He replied, sounding particularly relieved.

"I will retrieve a gurney." The droid told him. Legolas regarded the Jedi warily as the droid left. The Jedi turned his gaze onto the elfling and offered a warm, reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Legolas, the Jedi healers can do a lot more good than those droids. My word as a Jedi." Legolas could only hope that the Jedi could sense that he was fine with being in the care of the Jedi healers. He preferred real live people working on him, rather than emotionless, tin, mechanical healers.

Legolas was situated in his room a few minutes later. Obi-Wan stayed in the doorway while Legolas's injuries were being cautiously checked.

"You seem to be improving much better than anticipated, youngling." The healer remarked. "I have never seen non-force sensitives heal so well in one day." Legolas thought he saw Obi-Wan smile as the healer redressed the injuries. The healer suddenly froze, then looked up at Obi-Wan.

"You did something, Master Kenobi." They stated. Obi-Wan attempted to look innocent, but failed.

"Me?" He asked. "Never."

"And why not? Are you so stone-hearted that you would not help an innocent child?" The healer asked. Legolas saw Obi-Wan grow serious.

"You know I helped him, Bant." He told her. Legolas looked at Obi-Wan in confusion as Bant began to take him off the respirator. He began to panic as she did this, as he did not know how well he would be able to breathe without the respirator. Strong waves of calm and reassurance washed over him, and when the oxygen mask was removed, he found that breathing was just as easy as when he had been using the respirator.

"There, young one. You see, you are a fighter." Bant assured him. Legolas nodded, though it hurt to do so.

"Thank you?" He whispered. Bant nodded and Obi-Wan appeared at the side of the bed.

"Obi-Wan, would you mind watching him for a few moments?" Bant asked.

"I'll do my best." Obi-Wan replied with a soft smile. Silence fell over the infirmary as Bant left. Legolas looked around at the blue-green floors and walls, the pink pillars lining them, and decided that the halls were, in all contexts, quite soothing. He turned to look at Obi-Wan.

"You knew my parents?" He asked softly. Obi-Wan smiled slightly.

"Sort of. My master knew him better. He and I promised your father, your real father, to watch over you. When my master died it was my task, not that it hadn't been before."

"My real parents didn't care enough about me to find a family that could actually take care of me." Legolas spat. Obi-Wan shook his head.

"That is not the truth. But believe what you want." He replied calmly. The dream he had had the previous night flashed before his eyes. The elfling, the two Jedi, one of which he now knew as Obi-Wean, the adult elves. Could it be more than just a simple dream? Could it be a memory? Maybe Obi-Wan could tell him. But did he really want the Jedi to sift through his mind, see things that were absolutely none of his business? No, not really. Unless all Legolas had to do was "bring" the dream to the front of his mind and run through it.

"I've... been having a dream. It could be a memory, I don't know. Could you... take a look?" Legolas said hesitantly. Obi-Wan considered this fir a moment before nodding.

"If you really want me to." He replied. Legolas nodded, but only because he thought he might regret _not_ letting the Jedi see the dream. Obi-Wan slowly put a hand on Legolas's head and the elfling called the dream forth. Only, this time, he could hear the people speaking. He knew what they were saying. His heart broke when he heard the elfling plead with the other male elf and wanted nothing more than to reach out and tell the elfling it would be okay. He heard the older Jedi tell the other male elf that he would keep the elfling safe, that he gave his word as a Jedi.

Obi-Wan retreated from Legolas's mind as the elfling opened his eyes. Legolas looked up at Obi-Wan expectantly. Surely if it was a memory, Obi-Wan would know? He had been in the... whatever it was. Shouldn't he know?

"That, young one, is a memory." Obi-Wan told him softly. Somehow, he had known. For some reason, Legolas Thranduilion had been expecting that answer.

"Who was my father?" He asked.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you that just yet, Legolas." Obi-Wan replied. Legolas gave him a look of confusion.

"Well, why not?" He asked, wanting nothing more than to know who or what he really was.

"Because. It's not the right time." Obi-Wan told him.

"Why was I sent away?" Legolas asked. Obi-Wan seemed hesitant to tell him so Legolas gave a small scowl, which only succeeded in making Obi-Wan smile a little.

"That will get you no where, young one." He said cheerfully. "Besides, if I told you that it would give you an idea as to who your parents are."

"Then just tell me!" Legolas exclaimed in exasperation.

"Very well. Your father is king Thranduil of Mirkwood." Obi-Wan sighed.

"Never heard of Mirkwood." Legolas said emotionlessly. His expressionless façade hid the feeling of shock , disbelief, and sense of duty raging inside of him.

"That's because Mirkwood is in a place not of this galaxy. You were sent here so my master and I could prevent your father's enemies from hurting or, worse, killing you. Now you see why I was so hesitant to tell you. Am I right?" Obi-Wan replied. Legolas nodded.

"So, am I just supposed to sleep on this? Or am I supposed to go home?" He asked.

"Oh, you're not supposed to go home just yet, youngling. You'll know when you're supposed to. And when you know, so will I." Obi-Wan told him. Legolas nodded before looking away. Obi-Wan had been right. This just wasn't the time to tell him about his father, his real father, or about who he really was. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. No home on Coruscant to return to, no birth home to return to for a while.

"So, I just wander around until fate drops me off in Mirkwood, then? Sounds exciting." Legolas sighed as he looked back at Obi-Wan.


	4. Chapter 3: Arella

Chapter Four: Arella

It was a leveled mess. Legolas Thranduilion gazed sadly on the wreckage of his home, tears beginning to blur his vision. Three months. Just three months ago the apartment complex had been ripped apart by what people thought was a time bomb. It could have been any kind of bomb, but people thought a time bomb was more likely the cause of this destruction. Legolas hung his head as tears began to run down his cheeks. There was nothing left for him on Coruscant. Nothing at all.

As he stood there, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs, there was a scream and blaster fire. Legolas whipped around and scanned the area. A young girl, not much younger than him, was speeding down the walkway as fast as the crowds would let her, and behind her were twelve blaster wielding Nikto. Quickly wiping his eyes and face dry, Legolas hurried to help her. He stumbled over chunks of durasteel and duracrete, raced around chunks stresscrete, and finally hit the walkway. Blaster fire erupted behind him as he pushed through the crowds after the girl. He reached her just before she ran past an alleyway, grabbed a hold of her, and pulled her around the corner. She went to hit him, then saw he wasn't much older than herself.

"Calm down. I know a place we can go." Legolas told her.

"We? Who said anything about we?" She demanded as she looked him over.

"Offworld. Now, let's go." He sighed. He grabbed her arm, but she yanked it out of his grasp.

"Where offworld?" She asked.

"Endor's rather remote, isn't it?" Legolas asked.

"You have a ship?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes." Legolas replied.

"And you know how to fly it?" She asked. The real answer was no, but she didn't really need to know that. Not just yet, anyway.

"Of course I." He replied. The girl nodded in resignation. The exited the alleyway and came out close to the spaceport where the starship was located seconds before the Nikto came blasting into the alleyway.

"Why are those Nikto after you, anyway?" Legolas asked breathlessly as they climbed the steps up to Galactic City Spaceport.

"What are you doing here, kids?" The man at the door asked.

"We've come to see our cousin. He leaves his ship here a lot and we heard he was working on it today." Legolas replied, mustering up all the calm he could. The man regarded them for a moment before nodding. Legolas thanked the man before pulling the girl up the steps and into the spaceport.

"Where's your ship?" The girl asked. Legolas stopped for a moment.

"Hanger 14." He told her, not knowing how he knew. He just knew that was where he would find the ship. They hurried past hundreds of people, past a few hangers, landing bays, and dealers before finally reaching Hanger 14.

"Over there." Legolas told her, pointing at the _Horizon_-class Star Yacht at the back of the hangar. They hurried over to it just as the sound of blaster fire reached their ears.

"Kriff, those Nikto are fast." Legolas muttered as the girl sped up. The boarded the ship and Legolas strapped into the pilot's seat.

"H-16." The girl said as the blaster fire got louder.

"What?" Legolas asked.

"H-16! Endor's coordinates!" The girl exclaimed.

"Oh, right." Legolas replied hurriedly. He plugged in the coordinates and took off out of the spaceport.

"You do know how to fly this thing, right?" the girl asked. Legolas shook his head as they broke through Coruscant's atmosphere and into space.

"No." He replied. They suddenly jumped into hyperspace. "Not that it matters now. We have about 48 hours before we reach Endor." He added. The girl was looking at him in utter disbelief.

"You don't know how to fly this thing, yet you risked getting gunned down by twelve Nikto bounty hunters just to fly me off world in a ship you don't know how to fly?" She asked.

"Just be glad I actually did it." Legolas retorted. They were silent for a while. Then, the girl spoke.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Legolas. Yours?" He replied.

"Arella." She said.

"Why were those bounty hunters after you, anyways?" Legolas asked. Arella was silent for a while.

"You'll think ill of me." She finally whispered. Legolas snorted.

"I just saved you from twelve Nikto bounty hunters. Kind of hard to think ill of someone I did that for." He retorted. Arella remained silent, so Legolas watched the stars flash by. Every so often, he would glance at the girl, but she didn't seem to notice. Something nagged at the back of his mind. It could be what Obi-Wan had told him about his parents, his real parents, or why twelve Nikto bounty hunters were after a girl not much younger than himself when one should be enough. And what had they wanted with her, anyway? Was she a criminal? Did she know something that she shouldn't? And when was he supposed to go to his birth home, anyway? Would his parents even want him back when they were the ones who had given him up in the first place?

He supposed they would, since Obi-Wan said they had only sent him away to protect him from his father's enemies. But, he still had to wonder. And would he even fit in? The galaxy was most likely far more advanced than his birth land, even though he had barely any memories of that place. Only one to be exact. He would know so much more, perhaps even speak differently than the pothers. Maybe they didn't have droids or starships. Maybe they didn't have any technology at all. Suddenly, the thought of going back to his father and mother in Mirkwood sounded a lot worse than he knew it should.

****

They slept and ate the little food that Jamar had stored in the back and watched the stars flash by for the next fourty-eight hours, but hardly ever spoke to each other. Legolas got the feeling that Arella wasn't quite used to people talking to her, or to people saving her. That was odd to Legolas's innocent mind. He wouldn't wonder why someone had saved him from twelve Nikto bounty hunters and flown him off planet. But, this girl wasn't him. He really wanted to find out what danger the girl was in, how serious it was, then figure out how to keep her away from those bounty hunters.

The second day came and went and soon they jumped out of Hyperspace. Legolas and Arella looked at Endor for a few minutes before Legolas flew the ship down to Endor's surface.

"I thought you said you didn't know how to fly this thing?" Arella commented nervously.

"I don't." Legolas replied. "But I will try to make this landing as smooth as possible. How hard can it be?" He added. Arella gave him a look, which he ignored. His father had always told him that by trying ti be careful, you could screw up what you were trying to do. So, he flew casually, watched out for trees and other obstacles that could pose a threat until finally landing in a clearing.

"There," Legolas said as he unbuckled. "A happy landing." Arella followed him out of the ship and into the clearing. It was temperate and forested, but it did not look at all friendly to Arella. As inconspicously as she could, Arella leaned over and took a small vibroblade out of her boot. While Legolas was minding his own buisness and observing the area, she pressed it to his back. Legolas froze.

"Now, how do I know you haven't led me into a trap?" She demanded dangerously. Before anyone could do or say anything, something sped through the clearing, grabbing Arella's vibroblade in the process, and back out.

"Hey! Hey, that's mine!" Arella shouted after it. Legolas sped after the thing, Arella hot on his heels.


	5. Chapter 4: Yeep and the Gorax

Chapter Five: Yeep and the Gorax

He wasn't one to get tired easily. But running after the creature was making him tired quite easily. Legolas supposed Arella was worse off, as she was human and had less endurance than an elf.

"Hey, wait up!" Arella shouted. Legolas skid to a halt and bent over, gasping.

"Your blade's gone, Arella. You can always get a new one." He gasped when she appeared next to him.

"It's not that." Arella gasped. "If we need to defend ourselves we have no way to do it." Legolas nodded and straightened up. There was a sudden chattering noise to the left, causing them both to look up, startled. A furry little creature, about one meter tall, was sitting on a fallen tree about ten feet away. And it was holding Arella's vibroblade.

"Hey. That's mine." Arella stated. The creature said something in its language.

"You mean, like a trade?" Legolas asked. Arella gave him a look as the creature walked over to them. It handed him a pine nut and said something else in its language.

"It wants to give you this pine nut in exchange for your vibroblade." Legolas told Arella.

Really?" Arella asked as she snatched the nut. "This for that, huh? Did I mention that vibroblade took longer for me to grab than it took it to grab that pine nut?" Legolas shrugged.

"Would you rather be gunned down by twelve Nikto bounty hunters on Coruscant or exchange a pine nut for a vibroblade on Endor?" He asked. Arella glared at him and Legolas grinned widely. A sudden shadow was cast over them, as if the clouds had moved over the sun. The creature raced off as Legolas and Arella looked up. What they saw was not a cloud over the sun, but a 30 meter high monster standing over them. How they hadn't heard it, they didn't know. What they did know was that they needed to run. And fast. Arella bolted back to the ship seconds before Legolas. The creature roared and crashed after them.

"We'll never reach the ship in time!" Legolas shouted. There was a familiar chattering sound, but they did not stop to see if the smaller creature was back. Legolas suddenly cried out when he felt his feet leave the ground. Arella skidded to a halt and screamed as she too was picked up. The monster regarded them with what could have been interest.

"I know this is mighty unhelpful, but, I think this thing is a Gorax." Legolas whispered shakily. Arella did not reply. She stared at the Gorax with wide, fear filled eyes as a blur jumped off of a branch and thrust something in the behemoth's neck.

"Hey, it's... what's that furry thing called?" Arella asked. Legolas shrugged as the Gorax roared and dropped his two captives. Legolas grabbed a hold of a bough with one hand and Arella's shirt sleeve with the other.

"Grab a branch!" Legolas exclaimed. Arella reached for a bough, all to no avail, as the monster crashed back the way it had come. The furry little creature chattered in what could have been triumph. Legolas was a little busy making sure neither he nor Arella fell about 80 feet to the ground below.

"I got it! Let go!" Arella shouted. Legolas relinquished his grip on Arella's sleeve and was relieved to se that she did indeed have a good grip on a bough.

"Now, let's get back to the ship. I've had more than enough danger for one day." Legolas whispered. Arella nodded her agreement.

****

Legolas and Arella strapped in before taking off.

"Where to now?" Legolas asked, clearly hoping that Arella knew a safe place to go with civilization. Arella thought for a moment.

"Ithor. It's in the Ottega System." She told him.

"Mid Rim?" Legolas asked.

"Yeah." Arella replied.

"Coordinates?" Arella bit her lip.

"No idea." Legolas bit back a groan. Fortunately, he knew a planet they could go to in the mid rim that he knew the coordinates for, and, hopefully, they could find Ithor's coordinates there.

****

It was a familiar sounding chatter that woke them both up a few hours before landing on Naboo.

"What was that?" Arella whispered. Legolas unbuckled and went into the back of the ship. He froze when he saw the furry little creature trying to open a can.

"Hey, what're you do9ing here?" Legolas asked. The creature looked up at him before turning back to the can.

"What are you?" Legolas asked. The creature said something in its language.

"You're a Teek called Yeep, huh? I've never heard of a Teek before." Yeep said something else and Legolas looked over his shoulder.

"Hey, Arella! The furry little thing followed us onto the ship! He's a Teek and he calls himself Yeep!" The reply of "Great! Just Great! Why don't we pick up another stray on Naboo and Ithor why'll we're at it!" made Legolas grin. He turned back to the Teek and took the can.

"Here, let me help you with that." Yeep watched in interest as Legolas dug around in a cupboard for a can opener. He found it and opened the can before handing it back to Yeep.

"Careful, its sharp." He warned.


	6. Chapter 5: Almost Caught

Chapter Six: Almost Caught

Legolas rubbed his eyes, mentally shaking himself. They were almost to Naboo and he couldn't allow himself to fall asleep now. Arella was rolling the pine nut between her fingers as she gazed at the stars flashing past them and all was quiet in the back, so Legolas decided Yeep wasn't making a mess.

"Why were those Nikto after you anyway?" He asked, not able to stop the words from leaving his mouth. Much to his surprise, Arella smiled faintly.

"I ran away." She replied. Legolas raised an eyebrow.

"From home?" He asked.

"No. From my master." Arella replied.

"You're a slave? But slavery is forbidden in the Republic. I wish bounty hunting was, too, but it's not." Legolas said incredulously.

"The Republic doesn't exist in the Outer Rim, Legolas. We've long since learned to survive out there on our own." Arella told him. Legolas crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.

"I still don't approve of it." He muttered. A faint smile graced Arella's features. There was a sudden crash and a loud chatter, causing Legolas and Arella both to jump.

"Kriffin' sith spawn." Legolas muttered as he hurried out of the cockpit. When he reached the storage, he gasped. Food, utensils, spare parts, everything that had been neatly organized in cupboards and drawers, was all over the floor.

"Yeep! What've you done?! When I allowed you to stay- no, listen- when I allowed you to stay on the ship, it was under the impression you wouldn't make a mess. Yeep, I'm talking to you. No you listen. This was all the- get down from there! As I was saying, this is all the food we had left, and now it's all destroyed. Hey, I said get down from there! Now you're just making an even bigger- no, you can't have that. Now, get down from there. You're just making a bigger mess. Yes, I meant now!"

****

They had been on Naboo for half an hour by the time Legolas and Yeep and partly cleaned up the mess. Too tired to do anything else but sleep, Legolas made his way back to the cockpit.

"Everything is destroyed. All our rations are mostly ruined, but I bet the fruit's okay. Just a little bruised, but okay." He sighed as he slid into his seat.

"Teeks are trouble." Arella muttered.

"He did ward that Gorax off." Legolas reminded her as he ran a hand through his thick hair.

"True. But he's still trouble." Arella replied evenly.

"Yeah. Trouble is a friend of mine. Or so it seems." Legolas muttered. Arella let out a soft, humorless laugh.

"Seems that way for me, too." She muttered.

"I bet it's gonna' be worse for Obi-Wan." Legolas whispered. "I am going to prove to be a large handful." Arella frowned, but before she could ask what he was talking about, Legolas fell asleep.

It was a few minutes before Arella felt herself nodding off. Sleep was beginning to make her eyelids heavy, and soon, she couldn't keep them open. She, too, fell asleep, unaware of the danger that was rapidly approaching.

****

Arella and Legolas were both torn out of their respective naps by a loud crash, a frightened chatter, and the hair-raising sound of blaster fire. The younglings exchanged terrified looks as heavy footsteps approached the cockpit.

"The Nikto." Arella breathed, her gaze foxed on Legolas, her bright blue eyes shining with fear. Legolas nodded and climbed out of his seat.

"What're you doing?" She asked in a high-pitched whisper. Legolas gestured for her to be quiet as he approached the cockpit door and realized he wasn't entirely sure of his plan. What was he going to do? Scare them away with a temper-tantrum? Legolas had to smile at the thought, but the smile was quickly wiped away when the Nikto burst in.

One of them said something in what Legolas supposed was Huttesse and another went towards Arella. Legolas kicked the second Nikto and was rewarded with a blow from the butt of a blaster. He cried out in surprise, more than pain, as he hit the durasteel floor. The second Nikto then proceeded to grab Arella by her hair and drag her out of the cockpit. Legolas was roughly pulled to his feet and pushed out of the cockpit by not so gentle hands.

The elfling spotted places where blaster bolts had pierced the durasteel. And Yeep. Only, the Teek was lying face down on the floor/ Legolas resisted a terribly strong urge to cry before turning away from the furry little creature he had come to call a friend and letting the Nikto take him off the ship. When they reached the landing ramp, however, a red-haired man stood in the middle of it, clearly intending to stop them from reaching the end of the ramp.

"Obi-Wan!" Legolas exclaimed. His shout was rewarded by getting slammed in the back of the head by the butt of a blaster. And this time, he did cry out in pain. Tears welled up in his eyes as Obi-Wan began to speak.

"Surrender, give me the children, and leave this planet. Or die." He said. There was silence. Then, one by one, the Nikto burst into gruff laughter. One of them said something in Huttesse and Obi-Wan shrugged.

"I'm going to take that as a 'no', then." He said. He shrugged off his cloak, unclipped his lightsaber and flicked the power on before settling into a defensive stance. Legolas had to smile. The Nikto had _no_ chance against his Jedi friend. And when the Nikto came at Obi-Wan, the Jedi dispatched each of them with a somewhat frightening ease. Legolas watched with pain filled eyes as Obi-Wan dispatched the last one, then, he began to sob. He curled up in a ball and cradled his abused head in his hands. Arella knelt next to him and hesitantly began to rub his back. Obi-Wan hurried over to the elfling, who had now begun to sob uncontrollably, and gathered him into his arms; Arella continued to run her hand up and down Legolas's back as Obi-Wan attempted to soothe him. He was briefly reminded of the last time he had held the elfling in his arms, when he had soothed the elfling with a Jedi promise. A promise he fully intended on keeping until his task was done.


	7. Chapter 6: The Spaceport Incident

Chapter Seven: Space Port Incident

Legolas finally exhausted himself and fell asleep. Obi-Wan carried Legolas back onto the ship, closely followed by Arella, who immediately went to Yeep's side. Only after several frantic seconds of pleading with Yeep to wake up, begging him not to be dead, did the Teek stir and a wave of relief washed over the girl. She realized, with a soft smile, that she was starting to like the Teek after all. Obi-Wan gently tucked Legolas into one of the bunks in the back of the ship, quietly promising him to check any damage the blasters caused, before heading back to the landing ramp to clean up the mess. He had just barely finished burying the Nikto when Arella hurried over to him.

"We've got a problem, sir. The ship won't start." She told him breathlessly. Obi-Wan groaned inwardly before he and Arella headed back to the ship.

"It's like we fried something, or the power's been cut off. Nothing's working. But, I assume it's nothing a Jedi can't fix." Arella told him as they entered the cockpit. Obi-Wan cracked a smile.

"It probably isn't. But you have to remember the Jedi aren't infallible." He replied kindly. Arella didn't smile as Obi-Wan checked the power. He sat back after a moment and began to think. The Nikto could have cut the power or sabotaged the ship in some way, but the question was how he was going to fix it. And how bad the problem really was. They needed Anakin. But Anakin was all the way on Coruscant and of little use to them on Naboo. And he wasn't about to bother his young apprentice about a problem with the ship. He could fix it himself, once he identified the problem.

****

After checking everything, Obi-Wan found nothing wrong with the ship. The only problem was that there was something wrong with the ship. And unless he could locate the damage, they were stranded. He knew that there was no way in the galaxy that Legolas would leave his brother's ship on Naboo for people to use as spare parts.

"Arella says there's something wrong with the ship." Obi-Wan smiled and Legolas, who hurried over to him and curled up on his lap.

"I haven't found anything wrong, yet. Did your brother ever have any problems?" The Jedi replied. Legolas thought for a moment before shaking his head. The elfling winced in pain and Obi-Wan frowned. The Jedi examined the small bloody lumps on the back of Legolas's head.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No." Legolas replied softly. "Ow! You are now!" he suddenly exclaimed as Obi-Wan further examined the small, bloody bumps.

"Sorry, young one." Obi-Wan muttered as he began to Force-Heal the bumps. Legolas blinked as the dizziness began to slowly fade away. The pain dulled, and then disappeared altogether.

"There. Good as new." Legolas looked up at the Jedi and grinned.

"Thanks, Obi-Wan. You wouldn't mind carrying me, would you?" He replied. Obi-Wan lifted the elfling into his arms and Legolas put one arm over the Jedi's shoulders.

"At least I'm not screaming like the last time." Legolas commented, a mischievous smile on his face. Obi-Wan had a feeling he knew what Legolas was talking about.

"Oh, yes?" He asked.

"And at least you aren't telling me to shut up either." Legolas added, his smile now a full-fledged grin. Obi-Wan gave him a look.

"And at least you aren't going to leave me here in a few minutes."

"Okay, Legolas. That's enough." Obi-Wan laughed. Legolas shrugged.

"Okay. Wait, Yeep. Is he-" He began.

"Alive. The blasters were set to stun." Obi-Wan interrupted as they entered the cockpit. Obi-Wan set Legolas down before checking the power. It still didn't work.

****

"Find anything, yet?" Obi-Wan sat down in the co-pilot's seat. He had just finished his fifth examination of the ship, and it had proved just as fruitless as the other four. The Jedi shook his head in exasperation.

"Maybe you're just not looking in the right place. Or maybe you've already stared right at it. I do that all the time, you know. And it's so annoying when you realize you've been looking at it the whole time. This one time I was trying to figure out why- What?" Legolas asked. Obi-Wan swallowed the laughter trying to burst from his mouth and shook his head.

"Nothing, Legolas." He replied. Legolas gave Obi-Wan a look that clearly told the Jedi he didn't believe him. Obi-Wan, however, began to examine the controls again. He suddenly froze and shook his head.

"We're out of fuel." He said.

"Exactly how many times did you look at that?" Legolas laughed.

"Four times too many." Obi-Wan replied. He stood and ran a hand through his hair.

"We'll have to go to Theed and see if we can't find any. Come on." He said.

****

Legolas looked around in awe at the large city. It was absolutely beautiful. He had never seen anything quite like it. Coruscant could hardly compare to Naboo, let alone Theed. Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder at the younglings behind him, making sure they were keeping up, and smiled. Legolas was looking around in awe, his mouth part-way open, and Arella was close behind him, sometimes stepping on the heels of his boots and tripping him up. He had put Yeep in a sleeping trance before they had left, the children having decided that it wasn't such a good idea to take Yeep with and leaving him on the ship might mean more damage to the ship. As Legolas had told him when they were leaving the ship, Teeks might bring about the downfall of the galaxy with all their tinkering.

They had been searching for a place where they could get more fuel for several minutes when Arella spoke up.

"How much longer until we find somewhere to get fuel?" She sighed.

"We should get lost. After all, you have to be lost in order to find the places that can't be found. And, no, I don't remember who told me that." Legolas piped up.

"I think we're already lost, young one. But not to worry. I'm sure we'll find a place soon enough. See, what did I tell you?" Obi-Wan put in. Legolas and Arella looked at the place Obi-Wan was pointing.

"Space port." Legolas stated with a smile. Arella looked up at the Jedi.

"How'd you know the space port would be there?" She asked. Legolas gave her a funny look.

"He used his eyes." He said. Arella gave him a look.

****

They entered the space port moments later. Legolas looked around, wondering if it would even be possible to get fuel there. Maybe Obi-Wan planned on bargaining with a pilot or something.

"How do you-" Legolas began. Screams suddenly shattered the peaceful hum of engines and talking and the hair-raising sound of blaster fire filled the air. Legolas looked up at Obi-Wan in fear, silently begging him to do something. The Jedi grabbed hold of the younglings just as the blaster-wielding Nikto came into sight. Arella and Legolas both screamed as Obi-wan pulled them towards the maintenance hangar.

"Stay here, and keep out of sight." Obi-Wan said as he hurried the younglings behind a ship. Legolas nodded, too frightened to speak. Minutes past before everything went completely silent. The elfling peeked around the ship, then looked back at Arella.

"Stay here." He whispered before he quickly crawled out into the open. Arella watched him, anxiety making her heart pound. Suddenly, someone, or something, clamped a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened. She tried to scream, but no sound came out, so she kicked and squirmed. Her foot slammed into the ship's engine, and, though it hurt, it made a dull noise.

Legolas looked over his shoulder and froze. The Nikto looked up and saw him just as Legolas opened his mouth top call for Obi-Wan. A shot rang out and everything went black.


	8. Chapter 7: Learning and Arrival

Chapter Eight: Learning and Arrival

His chest hurt like hell. And that was an understatement. It really, really hurt like hell. And that was still an understatement. Legolas groaned and stirred slightly before letting his eyes slide open. He bolted upright, wincing as his chest burned in pain, when he realized he was not on Jamar's ship. He didn't know where he was. Legolas silently slid to the cold, durasteel floor and crept out of the small room. The cockpit was just down the little corridor. His heart beat faster and faster as he neared the cockpit, and froze in terror when someone in the cockpit began to speak.

"I'll be a little longer than originally intended, Master. Legolas's friend was kidnapped and neither of us are about to leave her at the hands of her captors." Legolas sagged in relief. Wherever he was, Obi-Wan was there and in control of the ship. He didn't need to worry.

"Careful, you must be, Obi-Wan. Taken lightly, your charge must not be. Much danger there is in bringing him with you." Another voice said. Legolas looked into the cockpit. Obi-Wan was talking to a hologram of a small, old, strange looking being with a cane.

"I will watch him carefully, master. I will make sure he comes to no serious harm while he is in my care." Obi-Wan replied. Legolas nearly laughed. What did they think he was going to do? Jump off the top of a building? Give himself up to the Nikto just to save Arella? Although, the last one didn't sound quite so bad.

"Keep your charge safe, Obi-Wan. If he comes to serious harm, angry, his father will be." The hologram said before going out. Legolas smiled softly. He remembered his father's solemn promise to Obi-Wan's master and knew that, since Obi-Wan's master was dead, Obi-Wan would bear the brunt of his father's anger were he to be seriously harmed. Although, he'd already been seriously harmed. No one came out of an exploded apartment building with nothing more than a scratch. Not many survived it either.

"Never, ever scare me like that again, alright?" Legolas looked up at Obi-Wan. Had he really been that loud?

"Promise. Elven promise." He replied. Obi-Wan smiled. He motioned for Legolas to come over to him and the elfling happily obliged. He climbed onto the Jedi's lap and watched the stars fly past the window.

"You know, I was thinking that I ought to teach you how to defend for yourself. We can't have you getting knocked down every time you're in danger. Especially where we're going." Obi-Wan commented after a while.

"Is Tatooine a bad place, Obi-Wan?" Legolas asked, a hint of nervousness evident in his voice.

"No, it's not a bad place. Tatooine is run by the Hutts and slavery is dominant there, and we can't have you running into every unpleasant creature there without knowing how to fight back." Obi-Wan replied. Legolas nodded.

"What if I did get hurt on Tatooine because I didn't know how to defend myself?" He asked. Obi-Wan smiled slightly.

"I would be less than pleased, youngling." He replied.

Legolas regarded the practice "weapon" nervously. He wasn't sure about using it.

"Don't worry, Legolas. I'll go easy on you the first time." Obi-Wan reassured him. Legolas looked up at him.

"And the second time?" He asked. Obi-Wan took his robe off and dropped it by the wall.

"The second time, I will not be so gentle." He replied. Legolas couldn't detect even the tiniest notion that Obi-Wan was kidding.

"Okay. So, do I start out in a particular stance?" the elfling asked.

"No. Not unless you're using a lightsaber." Obi-Wan replied. Legolas nodded and held the weapon up. Obi-Wan walked over to him and ever so slowly began moving the practice weapon towards Legolas's face. Legolas quickly blocked the "blow" and Obi-Wan brought his practice weapon down towards Legolas's legs. Legolas blocked it again, and then Obi-Wan brought his weapon towards Legolas's stomach a bit fast. Legolas blocked it.

"Hey, it's still round one." The elfling protested. Obi-Wan grinned mischievously.

"Not anymore." He replied. Legolas's lips twisted into a determined grin.

Almost two hours later, Legolas was asleep on Obi-Wan's lap. The Jedi was in the cockpit, conversing with Master Yoda via hologram.

"I think I pushed him too, hard." Obi-Wan commented. "I've never seen anyone sleep this soundly." Yoda smiled.

"Learned well, he did. A better instructor, he could not have had." The older Jedi replied.

"Thank you master. We should be landing on Tatooine in two hours. I'm not so sure how we're going to proceed afterwards, but I'd like to keep Legolas safe until I have absolutely no choice but to put him in harm's way." Obi-Wan said.

"Come to that, we should hope it won't." Yoda told him. Legolas stirred and mumbled something before going still again.

"I have my absolute trust in the Force. There's something about Legolas, like he can access the Force. I've been thinking about it for a while." Obi-Wan replied.

"When return to Coruscant, you do, test him we will." Yoda said. Obi-Wan nodded.

"I'll talk to him about it. Thank you Master." He replied.

Legolas blinked groggily up at Obi-Wan.

"We're here." The Jedi told him. Legolas nodded and slid to the floor. Obi-Wan stood and shut down all the ship's controls.

"I'll keep the shields up, just in case. We'll see if we can't trace Arella before coming back here." Legolas nodded. He was still quite sleepy, but he followed Obi-Wan off the ship anyway.

"Where will we start?" Legolas asked. Obi-Wan thought for a moment.

"We'll start with the smaller shops, then move on to the bigger slavers. I can't garauntee that we'll have any luck today, however. But, if the Force is with us." He replied. Legolas nodded and took Obi-Wan's hand as they began the trek to the settlement in the distance.


	9. Chapter 8: Found

Chapter Nine: Found

Legolas observed his surrounding in awe. He had never seen such a diverse group of aliens in the same place. Coruscant was a fair example of diversity, but Tatooine seemed more diverse. It seemed as though every species from all over the galaxy was here.

"Tatooine is the home to Jabba the Hutt. He controls the bulk of the trafficking in illegal goods, piracy, and slavery that generates most of the planet's wealth." Obi-Wan exclaimed to the elfling clinging to his hand. "The jawas and the tuskens control the dessert, essentially. Tatooine contains a number of farms, as well. Most people avoid Tatooine. It's a rough and dangerous place. Its few spaceports have become havens for people who don't want to be found." Legolas nodded.

"I don't even know what half these creatures are called." Legolas muttered, his voice low so that only Obi-Wan could hear him.

"That's probably best, young one. Come on, we'll try this one." Obi-Wan replied. Legolas allowed Obi-Wan to lead him into a small, pale brown shop on their left. It was cooler in there, but not by much.

"Boota da nolia. Hi chuba da naga?" Legolas and Obi-Wan looked up as a fat, bluish creature with wings entered the shop.

"I'm looking for a slave." Obi-Wan replied. "She's an auburn-haired girl, not much older than him." He added, gesturing at Legolas. The creature stroked his chin.

"Whoever she is, she isn't mine." He told the Jedi. A grin crept across the creature's face, and Legolas decided he didn't like the look of it. "I could find her for you. However, that would come with a price." His gaze traveled to Legolas, who went rigid. Obi-Wan shook his head.

"My son is not for sale." The jedi retorted. "Thank you, though." And with that, the jedi and the elfling left the shop. Legolas relaxed slightly and tightened his hold on Obi-Wan's hand.

"Damn slavers." Obi-Wan nodded. "They think only of people they can enslave and the money they can gain by selling people." Legolas looked around some more, more than grateful that Obi-Wan was there to keep him safe. A slight wind blew through Mos Espa, flinging sand into Legolas's face. The elfling shielded his eyes with his arm, ignoring the sting of the grains of sand hitting the rest of his face.

"What if someone tries to take me, Obi?" Legolas asked.

"If that happens, Legolas, they will never see the light of day again." Obi-Wan replied before leading Legolas into another shop, which was dirtier on the outside than the other one had been. Legolas nodded. A nikto looked up as they entered the shop.

"Hi chuba da naga?" He demanded. Legolas observed that the nikto was a M'shento'su, or southern, nikto. It was rather ugly with white skin, no horns, and it looked like it had no nose, but rather a large white lump where his nose should have been.

"Do you speak basic?" Obi-Wan asked, his brow furrowed.

"Hi chuba da naga?" the nikto demanded, standing up abruptly.

"Waka nuto." Legolas piped up before dragging Obi-Wan out of the shop.

"What did you tell him?" Obi-Wan asked. He looked almost as confused as Legolas was.

"'Thank you,' I think." Legolas replied. Obi-Wan grinned and picked Legolas up.

The twin suns were now high in the sky and the heat was terrible. They still hadn't found any trace of Arella, but several slave owners had offered to buy Legolas in exchange for them looking for Arella. Each offer was met with Obi-Wan's retort of "my son is not for sale." The elfling was feeling a little sleepy, but he didn't dare fall asleep. There had been too many offers made against his freedom and Legolas was going to stay awake and alert until they left this barren planet.

"What about that shop, Obi? It looks like there are lots of… enslaved people there." The elfling asked as he pointed to a large shop. The sign above the door was unreadable, as neither Legolas nor Obi-Wan could read huttese. Legolas had recently figured out that he could speak very little of it, though. Obi-Wan nodded and they entered the shop. A scantily clad woman, who was sitting at a sort of desk, stood when they entered.

"Come to make a sale?" She asked seductively. Despite the fact that her trade was immediately noticeable, Legolas couldn't help but notice that she was actually quite pretty. Her long black hair was tied back in three individual braids, her bright hazel eyes shone in the sunlight coming in from the window, she was slender and tall, her short, slightly see through shirt was white and her short skirt was brown and looked quite uncomfortable, but she did not look nice at all.

"My son," Obi-Wan repeated for the hundredth time that day "is not for sale. We are looking for a slave girl named Arella. She has auburn hair and isn't much younger than my son." The woman smiled.

"There are no girls here. Only boys." She replied. "But if you do change your mind about this one." She reached out to touch Legolas, but before she could Obi-Wan had taken several steps back.

"Thank you for your help. We leave in peace." The jedi retorted. He raced out of the shop, a terrified Legolas in his arms.

"You can pick the shops from now on." Legolas whispered. He buried his face in Obi-Wan's shoulder, shaking like a leaf.

"You know, my padawan was once a slave here. He used to sing this song in huttese, and basic. Do you want to hear it?" Obi-Wan asked. Legolas nodded against Obi-Wan's shoulder.

"Feel my body growing  
My bones have started glowing, ooh  
Wow!  
The time has come for showing  
That I'll shape you up and work you out  
My body feels excitin'  
My soul is synthesizin'  
My whole frame is jumpin'  
I'm workin' out and havin' fun

Work it out, you've got to move your soul  
Work it out, you've got to feel the heat  
Work it out, you've got to move your soul  
Wow!"

Legolas laughed and Obi-Wan grinned. He was glad he could cheer the elfling up. Legolas reminded him of his own sister, Vara, a jedi like himself. Although she had certainly never cried the way Legolas had when he and Qui-Gon had first brought him to Coruscant. A small, sad smile crept over Obi-Wan's face. By the force, he missed his sister, and Qui-Gon. The smile slipped off Legolas's face when he noticed that Obi-Wan looked sad.

"Obi-Wan?" He asked. "What's wrong? Why are you sad?"

"Oh, I just miss home, that's all." Obi-Wan replied.

"Is it Vara? Are you thinking about Vara?" Legolas asked. Obi-Wan gave Legolas a look of shock. "I could hear your thoughts." The elfling explained. Obi-Wan smiled.

"Yes. Yes, it's Vara. I miss her very much." The jedi replied before they entered a small shop. A Green Twi'Lek male looked up.

"No, he is not for sale." Obi-Wan quickly told the Twi'Lek. The creature shrugged.

"I can't see why anyone would want to by him. It looks like he's never worked a day in his life." He replied, his voice neutral. Obi-wan nodded, a faint smile on his face.

"We're looking for a slave girl named Arella. She has auburn hair-" The jedi began. The Twi'Lek was frowning.

"And she isn't much older than your companion. More importantly, she's my property." He retorted. Legolas almost glared at the Twi'Lek. _No one_ was born into slavery. Arella was no creature's property.

"What's your name?" Obi-Wan asked. The Twi'Lek regarded Obi-Wan for a moment before replying.

"Toroo Thoorn." He replied. Legolas almost laughed at the name. Toroo's parents might as well have called him tofu.

"Well, master Toroo, what do you say to a bargain?" Obi-Wan asked. Toroo did not reply for several moments.

"You mean the boy for the girl?" He asked.

"Yeah." Legolas replied. "Me for her."

Huttese Translation:

Boota da nolia- Good day

Hi chuba da naga- What do you want

Waka nuto- Thank you

Disclaimer:

The song is not mine. I borrowed it from .com


	10. Chapter 9: Legolas's Sacrifice

Chapter Ten: Legolas's Sacrifice and Obi-Wan's Distress

At first, Obi-Wan couldn't speak. Hell, he even forgot to _breathe_. Toroo thought on the offer, the offer that Obi-Wan wasn't even going to think about agree to, before nodding.

"It sounds like a fair enough bargain. How much do you want for him?" He mused. Obi-Wan was just about to protest rather vehemently, but Legolas gave him a look that erased the retort from his mind. The elfling _wanted_ him to do this! He wanted to exchange himself for a slave that he had only known for less than a week! Obi-Wan wanted to say no. He so desperately wanted to walk away and create a plan, but Legolas was determined.

"How much will you pay?" Obi-Wan asked in resignation. He swore he felt his heart and soul rip in two.

"No more than one hundred wupiupi." Toroo replied. Obi-Wan nodded, but did not relinquish his grip on the elfling.

"Ninety-Five wupiupi, then." The Jedi said. He wanted to burst into tears right there. He wanted to race back to the ship with Legolas in tow. Force, Thranduil was going to murder him. The Twi'Lek handed the jedi a leather pouch full of coins, forcing Obi-Wan to face the reality of what he was doing. He set Legolas down before taking the pouch.

"Girl, get in here!" The Twi'Lek barked over his shoulder. Arella came racing in, fresh tear tracks on her face, her auburn hair tangled, bruises marring her dirty skin. Her eyes widened when she saw Legolas. Legolas nodded and Arella breathed a silent sigh of relief. She walked over to Legolas and Obi-Wan as Obi-Wan blinked tears away. He couldn't believe what he was doing!

"You're to be traded. This man is your master, now." Toroo told Arella. The girl looked up sharply, disbelief shinning in her eyes as she looked at Legolas. Legolas only nodded.

"Yes, sir." Arella whispered as she looked back at Toroo.

"Go ahead and take her." Toroo told Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan did his best to smile.

"Thank you. We leave in peace." He replied before leading Arella out of the shop.

"Are you just going to leave him there?" Arella hissed, anger shining brightly in her sky-blue eyes.

"No, of course not." Obi-Wan replied around the lump in his throat. "Now I'm just going to have to figure out how to get him out of here." Arella nodded. They were silent for the rest of the trek back to the ship. When they arrived, Arella collapsed on one of the beds in the bunker and Obi-Wan shut himself in the cockpit. He took several, deep shuddering breaths as he tried to calm himself down. But he could not calm down. He began to sob and he swore he felt his heart go stone cold.

"What have you done, Obi-Wan Kenobi?" He sobbed. "What were you thinking?"

He woke up to the sound of beeping. Obi-Wan blinked groggily and pushed the "receive" button. The small, bluish figure of Master Yoda appeared before him.

"In much pain, you are, Obi-Wan. What troubles you?" He asked. Obi-Wan squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment.

"It's Legolas. He sold himself to save Arella. I am sorry, master. I should never have allowed this to happen." Obi-Wan whispered. Yoda nodded and Obi-Wan felt the tears return. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Thranduil is going to kill me."

"Blame yourself for this, you must not, Obi-Wan. Given up hope, you have." Yoda remarked in a stern voice. He almost looked disappointed. "Saved, your friend can be. Give up hope, you must not. Save him, you will." Obi-Wan nodded.

"I will try, master." He sighed.

"No, save him you will. Do or do not. There is no try." Yoda told him. Obi-Wan smiled briefly.

"Yes, master. Legolas _will_ come home safely." He replied. Yoda smiled.

"But a serious situation, this is. Careful you must be, Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan nodded. He understood perfectly. Legolas was in trouble and Obi-Wan _had_ to tread carefully if he was going to get Legolas off of Tatooine with nothing but a scratch. It would be hard, but Obi-Wan felt ready. Legolas needed him, and Obi-Wan was going to live up to his responsibility, even if it killed him.

Legolas couldn't sleep. It was colder now, and the ground in the slave quarters was too hard to be slept on. He sat against the wall and sighed. What was he doing? At first, he thought that trading himself for Arella was the only way to save her, but now he wasn't so sure. He had felt Obi-Wan's pain when he had been forced to sell Legolas, and he could feel the Jedi's pain now. He could even hear his thoughts, but they were faint and almost incoherent. The jedi master blamed himself for what had happened, and Legolas didn't want him to do that.

_It was my choice, Obi-Wan_ The elfling thought _My choice, and mine alone. You couldn't have stopped me. I wanted to do this, no, I _needed_ to do this .Hear me, Obi-Wan. Please, hear me._

His eyelids began to droop and sheer exhaustion took him in its arms. The elfling was asleep within moments.

**My disclaimer in the last chapter got cut short. Since I can't name the website for some stupid reason, you'll just have to be content with the fact that the song I used in the last chapter isn't mine.**


	11. Chapter 10: ObiWan's Plan

Chapter Eleven: Obi-Wan's Plan

He hadn't slept well at all last night. The thought of Legolas being injured or worse had kept him awake, but Legolas's telepathic message had calmed him down by a fraction of an had slept like the dead, surprisingly enough, but he supposed she hadn't slept much over the last few days. Running from bounty hunters did make one tired, not that he was speaking from experience, of course. So, tired and worried, Obi-Wan made his way back to Mos Espa. Arella stayed on the ship with strict orders to stay there. He might need her later and he didn't want anything to happen to her, and he especially didn't want to lose her. Legolas would never forgive him if either of those things happened, and he wouldn't forgive himself either.

He entered Mos Espa about five minutes after leaving the ship, his stomach growling at him the whole time. And now that he thought on it, he really was rather hungry. He had plenty of money to get something to eat, but he quickly vetoed the idea. He might need all ninety-five wupiupi to free Legolas, and he couldn't afford to spend even a little. When he reached Toroo's shop, he found Legolas sitting outside, cleaning a few spare parts.

"Obi-wan? What are you doing here?" The elfling asked when he noticed the unkempt Jedi. "Kriff, you look tired." Obi-Wan smiled tiredly.

"I'm here to free you, obviously. And as for being tired, I actually slept rather well last night." Obi-Wan replied, the tired smile still on his face. Legolas gave Obi-Wan a look that clearly said he didn't believe the Jedi before setting the part in the small, clear, plastic bin next to him.

"So, how did you sleep?" Obi-Wan asked. Legolas picked up another part and began to clean it.

"Rather well, actually. Master Toroo woke us up at the crack of dawn and he didn't give us any breakfast. But a nice woman came by looking for a servant and she gave us each a pallie." He replied. "That prostitute came by, too. She asked master Toroo about me, but he refused to sell me to her. He called her a… well, I'm not sure what it meant, but it wasn't nice. After he called her that name he told her to leave and never come back." Obi-Wan looked a little sick.

"Did she leave?" He asked. Legolas could tell by the tone of Obi-Wan's voice that the Jedi was nervous.

"No." Legolas sighed. "Master Toroo told her that if she wanted to have me so badly, she could wait until the slave auction and buy me from him then." Obi-Wan swore he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Legolas, did he say when the auction is?" The Jedi asked. Legolas shrugged.

"No. Why?" He asked. Obi-Wan shook his head.

"No reason. Now, do not get into any trouble. I will get you out of here. My word as a Jedi." He replied.

"Obi-Wan, if you want to buy me, you're going to have to find a way to earn a lot of wupiupi in a possibly very short amount of time. I'm sure that slavers ask for a _lot_ of money when it comes to slave auctions and the slave trade. And, Obi-Wan, be careful. Be kriffin' careful."

XXXX

Obi-Wan entered the shop, surprised at the absence of slaves. A young boy with a mop of messy black hair, tan skin and bright blue eyes looked up and smiled at him.

"Good day, stranger." He greeted. Obi-Wan smiled.

"Good day, young one. Can you tell me who's in charge here?" He asked.

"Me. At least, until my father gets back. How may I be of service?" The boy remarked cheerfully.

"Can you tell me when the slave auction is? My son's in need of rescuing and I think the auction is my only chance to get him out of here." Obi-Wan told him. A look of respect came over the boy's face.

"It's in eight weeks. And I reckon you don't have a job, but my dad's in need of an assistant. Pays eighty wupiupi a day, since this place is such a mess and the work's kind of hard." He told Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan did the math. It was probably the best offer he was going to get.

"Deal." He said.

XXXX

The suns were setting as Obi-Wan hurried towards Toroo's shop. Toroo raised an eyebrow when he saw him.

"I'd like a quick word with my son, if you don't mind." The jedi demanded before the Twi'Lek could say a word.

"There are no visiting hours, mister. The slave auction is in eight weeks, if you want him back that badly. Besides, he's already in trouble for offending Jabba's messenger this afternoon. And he hasn't quite learned his lesson just yet." Toroo retorted. Obi-Wan could feel no pain coming from Legolas, so he assumed the elfling was in one piece.

"I'm sure he meant no offense. Either way, I have a right to speak to him, since I'm his father." The Jedi replied. He was completely calm. At the moment, anyway. And he knew full well that that could change in a split second.

"And I'm his master. That makes me the higher authority, here." Obi-Wan quickly let go of his anger before replying.

"The only authority here is me. I am his father, and I demand to speak to him." Before the Twi'Lek could reply, the prostitute Obi-wan had had the misfortune to meet the previous night walked in.

"Kee chai chai cun kuta?" Toroo demanded harshly. The woman merely smiled seductively at Obi-wan, but the Jedi paid her no mind. "I told you to stay out."

"Easy, my fine friend. I come in peace." She told him as she reached out to caress Toroo's cheek. Toroo, however, grabbed her wrist and gripped it tightly.

"The business your kind does is never peaceful. Now, get out. I don't need any trouble here." He retorted. Obi-Wan stood off to the side, calmly watching their exchange but impatiently waiting for the woman to leave so he could talk Toroo into letting him see Legolas.

"It's only a job, Toroo. Besides, those little boys are awfully hard to resist." The woman laughed. Obi-Wan felt sick. If she got ahold of Legolas… well, it was just one more reason, if not the primary reason, to scrape up as much money as he could before eight weeks were up. He didn't even want to think about what the woman would do to his little friend. He hadn't lied when he had said Legolas was his son. Legolas was already becoming like a son to him, much like Anakin, who was back on Coruscant.

Obi-Wan was greatly relieved when the woman finally left after a short, somewhat heated argument with Toroo. It had been in Huttese, so he hadn't understood much of it, except for "es chu ta," so he got the gist of it. Toroo turned back to him as soon as the woman left and sighed.

"I don't have the patience to argue with you mister." He told Obi-Wan resignedly. He looked over his shoulder and shouted something in huttese before turning back to Obi-Wan. "Your son should be here in just a few moments." Obi-Wan smiled.

"Thank you very much. I appreciate it." The Jedi replied. And he really did appreciate it, and so much more than words could say.

"I hate that woman, you know. And she's so hard pressed to get her hands on your kid. I had two daughters, beautiful, kind. The best daughters there ever were. And Jabba took them away from me." Toroo told Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan nodded. He did understand, if only somewhat.

"I'm sorry for your loss." He replied quietly.

"I suppose it's my fault. Sold 'em myself." Toroo sighed. "Prostitutes like her remind me of what I've done." Before Obi-wan could reply, Legolas entered the shop. His hair was disheveled, bruises marred his pale face, and he looked hungry.

"Yes, master?" He asked in a weak voice. Toroo gestured at Obi-Wan and the elfling's eyes lit up when he saw the Jedi.

"You have two hours." The Twi'Lek told Legolas.

"Yes, master." Legolas replied. He grabbed Obi-Wan's hand and pulled him out of the shop. As soon as they were out of the shop, Obi-Wan picked Legolas up and they headed out to the ship.

XXXX

"It isn't going anywhere, Legolas."

"So?"

"So slow down, young one." The elfling grudgingly put his spoon down and swallowed the mouthful of soup. Arella smiled sleepily and patted her friend's back.

"You didn't have to sell your freedom to get mine back, you know. It wasn't the _only_ choice you had." She whispered. Legolas shook his head.

"We had no money and nothing to trade. It was the only thing we could do. The only thing _I_ could do. Don't look at me like that, Arella. This was my choice and I _do not_ regret it." The elfling replied.

"I would regret doing something like that." Arella muttered. Legolas choked on his soup.

"Oh?" He gasped. "Do you think I _want_ a slave chip shoved under my skin? Friends look after each other, and that's all I'm trying to do. I could have left you here under Toroo Thoorn's oppression if you had told me that's what you wanted."

"That's _not_ what I meant." Arella retorted.

'Well, than what _did_ you mean?" Legolas exclaimed. Obi-Wan lay a hand on Legolas's shoulder.

"That's enough, both of you. We're all tired, we're all stressed, I get that. Fighting amongst ourselves won't help, okay. We _have_ to stick together. If our plan works, we'll be off-planet in eight weeks." The Jedi told them. The younglings nodded. Obi-Wan _was_ right. Fighting never fixed anything. "Alright, Legolas, I should probably be getting you back to Toroo Thoorn." Legolas nodded and grudgingly stood.

"Bye Arella. Oh, where's Yeep?" He asked. Obi-Wan smiled.

"In a deep Force-induced sleep in the bunker." The Jedi replied. Legolas grinned.

"Good. What's your plan?" He replied.

"I found a good paying job, and I think I'm going to be able to rake up enough Wupiupi to get you out of here." Obi-Wan replied.

"And if you aren't able to rake up enough Wupiupi?" Arella asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Obi-Wan replied.

XXXX

Huttese Translations:

Kee chai chai cun kuta- What are you doing here?


	12. Chapter 11: The Courage of a Child

Chapter Twelve: The Courage of a Child

As the eight weeks crawled by, Obi-Wan began thinking more and more about what he would do if he couldn't rake up enough Wupiupi to free Legolas. He didn't know what he _could_ do. If he attempted to smuggle Legolas off world, then Thoorn could, and probably would, detonate Legolas's slave chip. He could place a bet in a pod race, like Qui-Gon had done with Anakin, perhaps, but who could he bet on?

"You already had ninety-five wupiupi when you got your job, so that helped a bit, I suppose," Arella told him the night before the auction.

"That makes 4,575 wupiupi," Obi-Wan said. "I have a feeling that it isn't going to be enough,"

"It probably won't," Arella remarked. Obi-wan ignored the comment. Arella could be brutally honest most times, something he did not need at the time. "But you never know with Toroo Thoorn. Have faith, Obi-Wan," But Obi-Wan did not have faith. He was too worried to have faith.

-0-0-

The slave market was hot and crowded. Children screamed as they were separated from their mothers, slaves were handed off to new masters, people wailed, bartered back and forth, and money changed hands more times than Obi-Wan really cared to count. Tatooine, he decided, was an awful place. One may never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Obi-Wan pushed through the crowd, searching for Legolas with his own eyes and through the Force. He finally found him about three minutes in to his search and hurried over to his friend.

"How much?" He asked Legolas.

"No one's come," Legolas replied. "I think master is a little disappointed," Obi-Wan smiled slightly.

"He probably is, considering that he was never very enthusiastic about taking you in the first place," He said.

"Well, that should make your job so much easier," Legolas remarked, a slight smile on his face.

"Let's hope so," Obi-Wan replied. He then walked over to Toroo, who looked almost as if he'd been expecting the young jedi.

"What's your offer?" Toroo asked.

"Name your price," Obi-Wan replied as he took the pouch of money off his belt. Toroo thought for a moment.

"Nothing higher than ten thousand," He said. Obi-Wan smiled. That wasn't going to be hard.

"I have 4,575 wupiupi. Is that enough?" He asked. Toroo raised an eyebrow. Legolas watched the exchange, hoping that the amount Obi-Wan had offered would be enough. "You said it yourself. He doesn't look like he's worked a day in his life, so he can't be worth much,"

"I'll keep that in mind," Toroo said. "Especially while I'm enjoying my ten thousand," Obi-Wan frowned. He hadn't offered ten thousand. What was Toroo...?

And then it dawned on him. Someone else had already made a deal with Toroo, perhaps before the auction. His plan had, most likely, been doomed to fail from the beginning. Toroo smirked.

"I'm not fond of her, but she did offer a handsome price for him, and one very good reason to get him off my hands," The slaver said. He looked over Obi-Wan's shoulder and nodded slightly. Obi-Wan turned and swore his heart stopped mid-beat. The prostitute he had run in to a few days before was standing behind him. She was smiling seductively at Legolas.

And all Obi-Wan could think of was a few choice words in huttese that were not polite enough to be spoken, although they may seem polite enough in a slave market. He was completely numb as he watched the two slavers exchange money. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be.

"Obi-Wan," Obi-Wan looked over at Legolas. "It's okay. I'm brave," Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Legolas nodded in silent reassurance. His expression was calm though his blue eyes shone with fear and he did not flinch as Toroo deactivated the chip in his arm, did not shudder when she gently took his arm and re-activated the chip with her own code.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Toroo," She said before looking at Obi-Wan. "I'll take exceptionally good care of him. You needn't worry," Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I'm sure you will," His voice was low, almost dangerous. Legolas had no doubt that Obi-Wan would be back for him soon with far more than a pouch of wupiupi. Obi-Wan was a jedi, he had the Force. He could not use it here, now, out in the open where there were dozens of witnesses. He could use it later in a private confrontation.

Though, if Legolas had his way, there would be no private confrontation, only a silent escape that no one would really ever see coming.

-0-0-

Her name was Teirza. He had learned that on the way to her shop. Every one of her slaves had their own private room. He'd learned that upon his arrival. She visited at least five of them a night. The nature of those visits was more than obvious to Legolas and he feared he would be her first victim as soon as the suns set. As he had learned, it was not uncommon for new slaves to be the first in a night. Not uncommon at all.

As he sat on his bed contemplated this, the door opened. Legolas went rigid and looked up, then relaxed when he saw it was only one of the other slaves. He was carrying a tray of food.

"Mistress Teirza likes to keep us well fed," The boy explained. Legolas thought he couldn't be any younger than thirteen. "I'm Cato,"

"Legolas," Legolas replied.

"How old are you, Legolas?" Cato asked.

"Ten," Legolas replied. "How about you?"

"Fourteen," Cato said as he set the tray down on the nightstand. "I've been here four years," Legolas nodded. "It's... after a while it's not so bad,"

"She does all kinds of things to you and it's not so bad?" Legolas asked incredulously. Cato shrugged. Legolas looked down at his knees, not noticing for the first time that the material of his black pants was ridiculously thin.

"Legolas," Legolas looked up at Cato, who leaned closer. "Don't drink the water. It is almost certainly drugged," Legolas nodded.

"Thank you," He whispered gratefully.

"No one helped me when I first got here," Cato remarked softly. "I wish someone had been kind enough to,"

"Well, thank you," Legolas said. Cato smiled, then turned and left the room. Once the door slid shut behind Cato, Legolas looked at the tray and decided that, while the food looked incredibly tempting, he wasn't going to eat any of eat, and he certainly wasn't going to drink the water.

The young elfling spent a few moments staring into space before getting off the bed and taking the butter knife sitting oh so innocently on the tray. He took a deep breath to calm himself and tried to force his body to stop its shaking. Shaking was not an option right now. He needed a steady hand. A very steady hand.

Back at the ship, Obi-Wan gasped when he sensed Legolas's intention and, shortly afterwards, his pain.

"Oh, Force," He breathed. Obi-Wan got off of the bed and quickly pulled his boots on and retrieved his lightsaber before hurrying to the landing ramp. "Hang on, Legolas. I'm coming,"

-0-0-

Legolas leaned back against the rough wall, gasping softly, the small silver tracker in one hand and the bloody knife in the other. He smiled slightly before tossing both objects to the side and ripping part of his pant leg off so he could use it as a bandage. With about as much care as a healer, he tied the makeshift bandage around his arm and stood. He took the knife, hurried to the door, and opened it...

... and jumped back with a yelp of surprise when he found himself face to face with Teirza. She frowned, then gasped when she saw the bloody knife and the makeshift bandage wrapped around his arm.

"What have you done to yourself, sweetheart?" She inquired soothingly as she knelt down infront of him.

"I'm sorry," Legolas said before plunging the knife into the slaver's heart. Her eyes went wide with shock. "But what you're doing is wrong, and I can't let you hurt anyone else," He then hurried past her and did not look back. He could not look back.

He ran as fast as he possibly could, stuck to the shadows, and arrived at the exit without being caught. And then he hesitated at the door. What about Cato? She couldn't detonate Cato's tracker, she was dead, but... someone else might detonate it, and he couldn't kill Cato. Cato had been nice to him, had warned him against drinking the water and effectively kept him from being drugged. He had to leave him so he wouldn't get blown up.

But could he honestly do that? Legolas shook his head and turned back. He had saved Arella and he would save Cato, too.

Obi-Wan ran as fast as he possibly could and did not stop until he reached Teirza's shop. When he arrived, he leaned against the door frame for a short while to catch his breath before hurrying inside. He sensed that Legolas had been there, at the door, then turned back. A frown marred the jedi's features. Why would he have gone back when Teirza would most likely catch up with him? Confusion building up inside of him, Obi-Wan rounded a corner. A few hallways and one staircase later he found the body. A shiver ran up his spine.

So, this was why Legolas had felt safe enough to turn back. He had cut the tracker out of his arm and then, while escaping, he had run into Teirza and had been forced to kill her. But why in the name of the Force would he turn back in the first place? He hadn't been there long enough to make friends, so why had he turned back?

Legolas tried just about every door in the place before he finally found Cato, lying on his bed.

"We have to go," He whispered loudly. Cato frowned at him. "Teirza is dead. We have to go. I came to bring you with me, but first we have to get your tracker deactivated,"

"Dead?" Cato asked as he sat up. Legolas nodded. "How?" Cato looked crestfallen, almost heartbroken.

"I had to," Legolas replied. "Look, I'm... I'm really sorry Cato, but I couldn't let her hurt anyone else. Too many have suffered because of her, because of what she's done. I had to put an end to that," Cato got off the bed so quickly that Legolas instinctively took a step back.

"Why?" Cato demanded angrily. "She was a good person!"

"No she wasn't," Legolas argued. "She was evil. She hurt innocent children, including you,"

"No, she loved me!" Cato screamed. Legolas swore his heart stopped for a moment, realizing now that going back for Cato had not been a very good idea. Legolas turned, preparing to run, but Cato was quick. He was on Legolas before the elfling even reached the door and soon Cato had him on the ground and his hands around Legolas's neck. Legolas's eyes went wide.

_Obi-Wan!_ He screamed mentally.

Cato's eyes blazed with fury as Legolas clawed at the older boy's face, but the fury soon switched to shock when he flew backwards and slammed into the wall.

"Legolas!" Legolas allowed Obi-Wan to pull him into a hug as he gasped for air. "That's what you went back for? Him?"

"I thought... I wanted to save him. He was nice to me. I just wanted to save him," Legolas gasped. Obi-Wan had no answer to that as he stared at Cato's unconscious form.


End file.
